Short Stories
by Writer with a heart
Summary: Some short stories based on TYW, WFIF and the original movie. All stories are T-rated. May not fit with my theme of 'happy endings everywhere'.
1. Gone with the wind

**Gone with the wind. Part I.**

This was it.

Today was the day.

The wedding day.

I put a smile on my face and prepared myself.

Marriage under such circumstances was.. well, a rare occasion.

It would be hard to, but I had to face it all with a smile.

And then lead a peaceful life for the rest of my days.

And yet, I felt that something was missing.

Oh well. I shrugged it off and headed outside. While the inside of the cave was dark and lifeless, the outside world was a completely different deal.

Spring.

Flowers were in full bloom. The sky seemed to be bluer than ever, with no clouds in sight. Blades of grass swaying in the gentle wind, rubbing against my legs. A few knots still remained in my hair. Luckily, I saw Lilly coming by with a pine cone, as promised.

She started combing my hair. I saw a few wolves desperately running to the river to prepare themselves for my wedding. I grinned at the sight for a short time, before my expression eventually faded back to the same tired Kate I had been for the past few hours.

I mean; this was my big day. Why was I so.. downcast?

I just realized something. Where was the person who was my best friend for the longest time?

Where was Humphrey?

I figured that even if I didn't see him now, I would most certainly see him at the ceremony. Because if he didn't show his face to the crowd, we would have to find a replacement last minute. Hehe!

Lilly accidentally pulled my hair too hard. Wait, Lilly! I had totally forgotten about her while I was deep in my thoughts.

Cone on, Lilly, why on my wedding day, of all days?

I turned around to give her a piece of my mind. Instead what I saw was a piece of her's.

Her fur was now a bleak light gray, stained by tears. I just realized that she had been silently sobbing all this time. It was amazing how she managed to not spill a single drop onto my fur. I opened my mouth to speak to her, but as soon as she noticed me looking at her, she simply said "Excuse me." and ran away, her now loud cries getting quieter and quieter, before going completely silent.

What happened to her?

The only sound that now rang in my hears were the airy notes of the wind, which seemed to get louder by the passing second, as the wind picked up speed.

I felt a presence near me, besides the wind, of course.

I turned around. It was the guy I wasn't expecting to see now, but was expecting to see sometime later today.

It was Humphrey. I smiled upon seeing his radiant face.

For some reason, that name struck a deep chord in my heart. I guess it was because he was my best friend.

"Hello, Humphrey!" I smiled warmly at the omega. Our recent adventures have been pretty fun.

"Hey, Kate." He tried to manage a smile, but gave up. Why? He was usually the most cheerful person in the cave.

Why was everyone sad today?

"Humphrey, you're the best man. Why are you sad?"

"I'll tell you later. It's not important. At least compared to your wedding. Hey, where is Lilly?"

Right. Lilly. What was up with her today? "She ran away crying for some reason." Even the pretty strong breeze blowing by did not bring me her scent.

Humphrey sighed. "I hope you're happy with your choice. Your sister obviously isn't. I'll go now. Don't expect me at the wedding." That was a lot harsher than something that the Humphrey I know and love would say.

"What are you.. talking about?" I was confused about this choice thing.

"Oh, your choice of man." I was stunned. What?

"Humphrey, I didn't have a choice. I had to marry Garth. What, should I rather have chosen war? And what does Lilly have to do with all of this?" I spat at him, angrily.

"I meant best man, Kate." I felt embarrassed. Why did I have to get angry at him for that? But, somehow, I felt like he was lying in the last sentence.

"Humphrey, I'm sorry-"

"Never mind, Kate. I'm leaving the pack."

"Humphrey! Wait! Why?"

"Don't worry, Kate. If I get married someday, you'll be my bride. Oh, wait, I mean bridesmaid." His words were cold. It struck me like lightning.

The wind around me suddenly died down. Humphrey disappeared from view.

I suddenly realized what was missing.

All those times I spent with him...

All those happy memories...

He risked his life countless times to save mine.

I suddenly understood what I felt around him.

I ran after him, to stop him in his tracks, to ask him to come back, to plead for his forgiveness. If I didn't succeed, I would simply go with him. I needed to find him.

But, where was he?

I had been a fool all this while.

I just realized now that I loved him.

And he loved me.

But now, he was gone with the wind.

* * *

Of course, this doesn't mean I didn't get the happy ending.

Things happened, laws were broken, permanently, and I got my choice again.

The wind always comes back.

And this time, I decided to go along with it.

I made the right choice.

But, that is a story for another day.

My name is Kate, and today, is the day I get happily married to the love of my life, Humphrey.

**NOT THE END!**

* * *

**There are still two more parts left to go! So, stay tuned! And try to leave a review, please. Constructive criticism helps me improve. If you people think that this story is good enough to get a separate entry on the archives, please let me know. Thank you for reading, and stay safe!**

**Writer with a heart.**

**EDIT: Typo.**


	2. Gone with the wind - Part II

**Gone with the wind - Part II - The Hidden Hermit**

* * *

I had just lost him.

The one person I loved.

Gone with the wind.

Defying all expectations.

Denying all reason.

What just happened?

Now what?

Something was on my paw.

Water?

It wasn't raining.

I realized that I was crying.

Everything appeared blurry.

My vision was obscured by tears.

I was crying.

Why did I not feel sad?

No, I didn't feel sad.

I felt bad. Wait, that isn't it. I do feel sad. My ears were flat against my head.

A small burst of wind reminded me of what I was going to do.

It all came back to me.

All the emotions.

All the pain.

And yet, I wasn't the only one that suffered.

He did, too.

Am I even making sense here?

I imagined that he would come back.

He would come here and kiss me.

My father would immediately remove the laws, seeing Humphrey's affection for me.

Both the packs would join together without any formalities.

Isn't it kinda funny, how, whenever something happens that makes us cry,

we usually tend to think of alternate versions of the same scenario, except better?

And we tend to use more flowery words in our head.

To make it seem like we're fine. To make it seem like we're not crying.

In reality, we're only pretending.

I accidentally moved my head in such a way that sunlight pierced my eyes.

I placed my paw over my face to cover my eyes from the sun, and also to wipe away my tears.

It doesn't matter whether I love him or not, I have to marry Garth.

That sounded very wrong.

Come on, Kate! You're an alpha. Act like one.

That also sounded very wrong.

I was still sobbing in the real world.

I quickly wiped my tears.

It was time.

* * *

I made my way down the entrance to my parents' cave.

What was I going to do?

I slowly made my way to the wedding rock, with a fake smile plastered to my face.

This was it.

A large crowd was assembled.

I walked up to the wedding rock.

Wolves cheering.

I stepped up.

Lilly still crying.

My dad asked all of them to calm down.

Garth seemed uneasy. "Garth, you ready?"

"Yup, no problems on this end. Ready to go-go-go!" Garth said, awkwardly. "So, you wanna start this thing or me?"

"We'll start together." I dreaded this part.

My muzzle moved closer to his. I noticed his eyes straying away from me once he had crossed my shoulder. I felt him take a whiff of the air around me.

I took in his scent. It was okay, at best. I could honestly say that my dad smelled better than him on a good day.

Both of us retracted our heads, carefully managing to not touch each other during the way back.

He reached forward and gave a slight nibble to my ear.

I repeated his action.

And the final part.

Both of us hesitantly moved towards each other, eyes closed, slightly trembling.

I was about to rub my nose with-

Wait, what am I doing?

I can't desert Humphrey like that!

No, I can't.

No, I can't.

No, I can't.

I just can't.

I pulled away.

"..Kate? Kate? What are you doing?" Garth realized what was going on.

"I.. can't."

"What is this, Winston? What does she mean by-"

"Quiet, Tony. Kate, Kate Kate Kate, what do you mean you can't?" My dad asked me in a gentle voice.

Time to spill the beans.

"I... uhh... may have fallen in love.. with an omega? Heh heh." The thought of Humphrey made me blush lightly.

"What? Humphrey?" Dad asked me. I nodded.

"Kate, this is no time for jokes. An alpha? Falling in love with an omega? How?" Tony was throwing questions at me.

"Dad!" "What is it, Garth?"

Even Garth's red fur wasn't able to hide his blush. "Dad, I too, am in love with an omega." Wait, what?

I noticed Lilly's face brighten out of the corner of my eye. Wait, what!

Tony went wide-eyed. He looked confused and disturbed. "What! Garth, what do you mean?"

"Uhh... I... kinda sorta... fell in love with-" He was interrupted by an excited Lilly pouncing on him. "Well, her."

"I.. I.." Tony began. "I never expected that."

Dad continued. "I never expected that my own daughter would fall in love with an omega."

"I... guess love transcends all boundaries. I think... it's time we removed the pack law." Tony.

"You.. are right, Tony."

He faced the crowd.

"From henceforth, alphas and omegas are allowed to love each other!"

The crowd gasped.

I saw a couple of particularly excited faces.

A few wolves from the crowd joined their respective romantic partners from the opposing ranks.

Mere moments later, shouts of joy emerged from the crowd.

If only Humphrey was here now.

Wait! Humphrey!

"Dad, I'm leaving for a few days."

"What! Kate, why? You got your wish!"

"But Humphrey didn't!"

He seemed to understand. "He left, huh?"

"Bye!" I sprinted off into the distance, hoping to find a trail leading to Humphrey. When I looked back, Dad was waving good-bye to me.

Kate was hoping to find even a trace of Humphrey's smell, but, alas, fate had other plans for her.

It was only after five long hours after searching that her highly trained alpha nose was able to detect even the slightest trace of Humphrey's scent.

Kate did not mind at all, though.

She left everything behind. Nothing else mattered to her, anymore.

Love was a perplexing thing. You couldn't easily feel it unless you were able to.

It led your mind to do things you wouldn't usually do. And you wouldn't know why you were doing those things.

You can't think of anything else but the person you love. Yet, you think about everything else.

It makes you appreciate life a little more. Because the person you love is a part of it. Because Humphrey is a part of it.

Humphrey. Where was he?

I'm coming for you, Humphrey.

Please, wait for me, Humphrey.

I'm sorry, Humphrey.

Please forgive me, Humphrey.

Humphrey was the only word that seemed to materialize in her mind.

She liked the way it sounded.

She chased the familiar scent for miles, jumping over large rocks that controlled the flow of powerful rivers, sprinting over the fluffy, powdery snow, dodging clueless wolves and startled critters.

Until she could run no more.

Kate came to an abrupt stop.

Her lungs flaring, her brain begging her to stop this madness.

Alpha training couldn't have prepared her for this.

Where did Humphrey run off to?

It couldn't have been the train. The scent did not lead her to the tracks. He couldn't have been relocated. There weren't any traces of human activity.

I was faster than him by a very large margin. I should've caught up to him by now.

Where are you?

Please, tell me.

I beg you to.

Please, let me be with you.

You do not deserve isolation.

You deserve love.

Why did you push everyone away?

"Please, Humphrey!"

"Humphrey..."

Kate cried, collapsing on the snow. Sadness poured out of her eyes.

Why did I let you go?

Why does the world have to be harsh to me?

She covered her eyes to shield herself from... nothing.

No, Kate, what are you doing? You idiot.

You cannot give up like that.

Humphrey needs you, Kate.

Humphrey loves you.

I need to keep going.

I need to stay strong.

* * *

Over the next few days, Kate kept on searching.

And searching.

And searching.

Trembling, freezing in the harsh cold.

And yet, she kept going.

* * *

Days turned into weeks; weeks into months.

And yet? Nothing.

* * *

That was fine though.

At this time, all I need to do is stay away.

From my feelings.

It's been five months.

I earn my meat by hunting, for caribou and berries.

I occasionally tinker around with stones and wood pieces, using them to create simple machines (That has to be the understatement of the century). I started doing this after an encounter with two friendly humans.

I also serve as a simple guide for the occasional animal who happens to come by.

I help others. I don't want anything in return.

I tell to tale to those who listen.

I may not be happy, but I am content.

I didn't want my parting words to be harsh ones, but I needed to make sure that she wouldn't follow me here or do anything stupid.

Kate's a headstrong girl. She probably didn't marry Garth.

I'm sure she's living with someone who can give her everything she wants.

* * *

All I want is Humphrey's warm embrace.

All I want is his love.

I don't care about anything else. I could be poor, barely managing to survive, or even be a zombie for all I care.

I just wish I could hear his sweet words light the atmosphere again.

Every step I take, the storm pushes me away.

Every decision I make, the gale throws it away.

Does he even care?

I'm lost, I'm hungry, and I may not be able to ever see my family again.

My real family.

Humphrey was just an outsider. He always was.

He never fit in.

I felt pity for him.

I guess I just confused it with love.

I just wanted his attention.

Now, what?

I hate him.

The wind seemed to stop blowing.

Why is the wind always on his side?

I try to go back.

But where is back?

No one around, for miles.

Maybe I could try looking for help.

Maybe I could try shouting.

Would anyone hear me?

"HELP!"

* * *

"I'M LOST!"

I heard a scream. Pure despair.

Who was that?

Who was out there?

Probably some poor soul, lost and afraid.

"HOLD ON! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

I heard a distant gasp. "I CAN! PLEASE HELP! I'M LOST!"

I rushed out of my cave. As I escaped my temple of loneliness, The stones covering the entrance split in front of me. The sunlight _wasn't_ reflecting off my now matte fur.

I sprinted, trying to get there in time, lest something bad may happen.

Five months of intense activity meant that my well-trained paws never slipped on the soft snow.

I rushed towards the target, suppressing the urge to stalk the person sneakily as if I were on the trail of a caribou.

I stopped right before a cliff.

I could easily jump off of it without any problems, but something told me to wait.

Something was very off.

I took a little peek at the distressed animal.

Near-whiteout conditions weren't a problem for me.

It was a wolf.

I recognize that guy somewhere. Or is it a girl?

Probably a girl.

I caught a 'better' glimpse of the person, Yup, _definitely_ a girl.

Gleaming golden fur.

Like Kate.

I wonder what she's doing right now.

Probably cuddling with some cute guy with a generic name like Andrew or Brian.

Fine by me, as long as they treat Kate right.

I jumped off the cliff, not to my death, fortunately.

I approached the distressed wolf carefully.

"Hello, ma'am, are you alright?"

What I saw surprised me.

Gasp!

"Please, help, I'm lost and..." She turned to look at me.

* * *

He.. he...

He looked like Humphrey!

My tongue was non-functional for a few seconds.

* * *

I had to play it off.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"Uh? Uh uh? I mean.. yeah, I think?"

"Good, let's get to my cave and get you healed up, alright?" A convincing fake smile always helped to pull off the illusion. Of course, 'convincing' was relative, but it always worked on Kate. Makes sense, I developed it by trying to hide my feelings from her. I didn't need to hide anything from anyone else.

* * *

The way he spoke...

The way he smiled...

Humphrey?

No, it couldn't be him.

He probably would've died by now.

Stupid omega.

I just noticed his fur colour. Black. Why didn't I notice it before? Humphrey was grey. His colour was more intense when compared to Humphrey's.

And this guy... smelled wonderful. He smelled like berries. Like Humphrey's scent, but more pronounced.

Of course, that probably means he tastes bad unless he's supposed to be a fermented berry.

I couldn't also help but notice how attractive he was. He had a slim build, just like Humphrey, but with more guns packed up his biceps. His muscles seemed to be carved intricately out of stone.

All these thoughts raced by in my mind very quickly, before realizing my position in all this.

Right. I was wandering through a snowy hell, lost and damned.

"Okay."

"Be careful, okay? Stay right there."

* * *

What-

I was flung off to the top of the mountain.

I landed before I could even process my thoughts.

"WHAT WAS THAT!"

He burst out laughing. "Do you like it?"

Great, this guy has Humphrey's weirdly cool mechanical expertise too. But this was way more advanced than something Humphrey would usually make.

"Hey! You're supposed to rescue me, not fling me into the air!" Although he just tried to kill me, I liked this guy. I guess I just had a thing for people like Humphrey. That jerk Humphrey.

I spent all these days wandering around this freezing cold, looking for nothing.

Why did I even think I loved him?

The way he left me.

And in such a harsh tone!

* * *

"This way, ma'am." I pointed to a large rock.

"Uh.. do you live out in the open?"

No, I don't!

I pulled a small trigger.

The stones parted to reveal my cave in all of its entirety.

I looked at Kate and found the look I usually get. Total disbelief. Then shock. Then amazement. Then excitement.

"Wow!"

"That was just the beginning."

I led her inside the cave. A small fire lit itself. I learned a lot from those humans.

"Go, and relax near that fire, okay? I'll be right back."

Kate, naturally, seemed scared.

"Don't be afraid."

"If you don't disturb it, it warms you. It fills a special place in your heart. It creates a lingering feeling that stays with you forever."

"However, if you pester it and follow it around, it may tend to hurt you." I tried to use the fire as a metaphor for me.

Kate slowly approached the fire. Slowly, she got used to the warmth of the red-orange flames.

"So, what happened, ma'am? Why are you out here by yourself?"

* * *

"Oh, stop calling me ma'am." I blushed a bit.

I remembered whatever had happened until this point.

I let out a deep sigh and explained the story to him.

He seemed oddly unfazed by it, except the part where I mentioned that I started to hate Humphrey.

"Oh. You're lost."

"Well, yes."

"What do you do now? Do you want to stay with me, or go away?"

After seven months (or was it five?) of loneliness, a companion sounded like a good deal.

Especially someone like this guy.

"What is your name?"

He seemed to stumble a bit. Oh no. Did he have some painful memory or something involving his name?

"Uh... H-Humphrey."

My eyes widened. Was he?

No, it had to be a coincidence. Since we didn't have last names, sharing exact names was common.

"Oh. His name was Humphrey too."

I started to cry. How could he betray me?

"I-I am sorry." Why was he apologizing for telling me his own name, because I asked him to?

He was exactly like Humphrey. Yet he wasn't.

* * *

**One more part to go! If anyone wants, leave a comment on the next chapter/send me a PM if you want this story to continue after the next chapter.**

**That's all, and that's it for today. Until next time, folks. Please leave a review telling me what you thought of the chapter. It helps me improve! That explains why my writing hasn't been improving lately.**

**Also, what do you think about Kate's mental state? Is she mad now, or was she mad before the love thing died down?**

**Also, go and wash your hands! Yes, right now!**

**Writer with a concern for the coronavirus**

**BTW don't even step a centimetre outside your house. Unless you really have to.**


	3. Gone with the wind - Part III

**Gone with the wind - Part III - The storm never came.**

"Hey, Humphrey, how many berries did we need again?"

"Ten!"

From where did he get all this knowledge?

I put two cut berries between each pair of 'bred' slices.

Apparently he got this 'bred' from a human.

"Hey, Kate! Quick fact! 'Bred' is spelt B-R-E-A-D, and not B-R-E-D."

How did he know that? And was he reading my mind?

I put a slice of cheese between the slices of 'bread,' just like he told me to earlier.

"I think it's ready!" I was a bit uncertain.

"Try one!"

I took the 'sand witch' and bit-

"OH MY GOD HUMPHREY THIS IS AMAZING I WANT MORE"

"Yeah, I know, right?"

"I NEVER THOUGHT OF MIXING FOOD! YOU'RE A GENIUS, HUMPHREY!" I chomped down the rest of the piece as fast as possible. I cannot believe that Humphrey, in all his time spent with me, never thought of making these.

"Aw, thanks, Kate."

Things had changed ever since I started living with 'Humphrey'. Life was way more fun now. I obviously couldn't locate my old pack, as I was lost here, so this awesome guy took me in.

I started to form a strong bond with Humphrey. Eventually, he even became my best friend. How ironic!

However, there was a chance that I wouldn't be lost anymore.

I was ecstatic, as today was the day Humphrey promised to try to take me back to my pack!

I could have a chance at meeting my family and friends again. All thanks to Humphrey!

Humphrey came over, carrying a small bag on his shoulders that he had packed with food and some other stuff.

"Okay, Kate, put the food in this bag." I slid the sand witch into the brown stitched bag. Sand witch? Weird name. Where did it come from? It was probably invented by some sand sorceress.

He closed the bag and slung it over his shoulders.

We walked out of the cave, with the now intricately carved stone doors closing behind us, like it had been possessed by a ghost.

With our footsteps trailing behind the snow, I looked back and said a quiet good-bye to this place that had served as my home for the past few months. So many good memories over just 13 weeks and 3 days. (Writer: Yes, I did calculate the time, I'm not **that** lazy. Note the 'that'.)

Yeah, an alpha always had to keep track of time.

But I kinda failed that part of my responsibility when I got lost in the Lilly-themed Sahara there.

Hopefully, I have the chance to see her again.

"And now we embark on the journey of a lifetime!" Humphrey proclaimed. Even though he proceeded to pin his face to the ground to check for scents, he led me with a very confident stride, a quality usually reserved for pack leaders.

Of course, the sad part was, that Humphrey would go back to being a lone wolf, again. That's sad, especially for someone with so many skills and talents. Someone like Humphrey, who always kept his cool, and smiled on through life. Of course, he too, had emotional limits, but I hadn't seen that side of him yet. But considering that he mirrored, and magnified, every aspect of the old Humphrey, I'd say that his miserable side would be pretty impactful. But, deep underneath, I knew that he was an innocent soul, who wouldn't want to hurt anyone.

Humphrey's head suddenly perked up. He looked at me with amazement.

"I got a scent!"

I was in disbelief. "Is it... mine?"

"All I will tell you is that it belongs to a beautiful wolf." I blushed slightly.

I ran into him and hugged like there was no tomorrow.

Tears made their way out of my eyes. I was filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Humphrey." He patted my back slowly, as to comfort me. I can definitely say that it worked.

"No problem, Kate. What are friends for?"

The word 'friends' pulled on my heartstrings a bit.

There was but one question on my mind.

Do I love my best friend... again?

* * *

Kate couldn't see it, but Humphrey blushed like a blinking red traffic light.

Kate, unfortunately, did have to let go of that bear-hug she pulled on Humphrey, so that he could continue the search for Jasper.

* * *

I shall now attempt to describe the next few hours of their adventure in a terrible poem, so that you guys can whine about it in the comments.

Two wolves walking on the snow.

Both quietly loving the other.

Each thought the other was aglow.

But both didn't know

Their heart's deepest desire,

And that was to be with one another.

Time passed, but not that much,

The grey one leading the team,

Sniffing, sniffling, and as such,

Kate did have reason to worry about him a touch.

"It's not much," He said, knowing the cold

And as to put her at ease, he tried to beam.

The golden wolf, gleaming in the winter sun,

Challenged the other to a race

"Just for fun," She said, starting to run

But she should've known, that he, with ease, could overrun

For, after all, she was just a lowly alpha

And Humphrey, was the master of speed, the ace.

Her thoughts flared

Back to her family, whom she left long back

Meanwhile, Humphrey stared

At her former self, lost and scared

Pleading for help, fleeting from his true self

And now, look at her, your best friend, anyone would be taken aback!

That certainly isn't all

for the tale of the two wolves

Now, before you decide to bawl,

I really must tell you all

This is the end of this terrible poem

and we go back to the story of the two halves.

_Hey, at least it rhymes! Sorta._

* * *

Humphrey was getting a very strong scent now. The duo kept on following Kate's scent, taking breaks occasionally.

Time flew by, with the two wolves joking around and laughing.

Eventually, they saw an abandoned cave, where they decided to rest for the rest of the day.

The omega spread some snow on the ground to make sleeping more comfortable.

The two wolves laid down on the snow, with Humphrey spooning Kate as usual, as both of them had grown quite comfortable with physical contact.

Humphrey hugged Kate from behind. Kate placed her hands on Humphrey's comforting arms.

"You know, Humphrey? You make a good pillow."

"Are you talking about me or the snow?" Humphrey joked. Kate giggled.

"Both."

The not-a-couple drifted off into dreamland.

* * *

Kate found herself on a large vessel sailing for Nowhere!.

Eventually, the vessel reached an island.

"Welcome to Nowhere! The land where you do nothing!"

Kate jumped out of the ship.

She found herself on a giant red thing.

On closer inspection, the giant red thing was found to be a large letter "N". The entire thing was a gigantic sign proclaiming "Nowhere!"

Eventually, she died because she didn't do anything.

But, then, both the Humphreys came, and took her to Somewhere!.

But she was already dead.

* * *

One day, young Kate was asked to play a game of the prisoner's dilemma, with a friend.

Looking out for herself, she chose to steal the piece of caribou.

Humphrey didn't mind becoming an omega forever, though. He thought that Kate was a better fit for the duties of an alpha.

Besides, he secretly liked Kate, and wouldn't even think of giving her a hard time.

* * *

The bright light of the sun slowly woke up ou-

_Yeah, whatever, narrator. Just get to the point already!_

Humphrey's eyes fluttered open. A Kate sleeping on his hand, in front of him didn't do much to allow him to move.

He tried to pull his hand out from underneath the lithe mass of muscle that Kate was. He succeeded.

He tried to slowly stand himself up.

Unbeknownst to him, at that moment Kate opened her eyes.

She could feel Humphrey trying to stand up without waking her 'sleeping' form. She smiled a secret smile, and mentally observed Humphrey go about this daunting task.

She felt a bit uncomfortable, and so decided to move her body slightly backwards.

This single action caused Humphrey to trip and freefall forwards.

As his body rapidly approached Kate's, everything felt as if they were passing by in slow-motion.

As his body inched closer and closer to an impending awkward doom, he felt a new appreciation for his life. He glanced around the now brightly-lit cave, observing all the insides, outsides, nooks, crannies, patterns, textures, every scratch, every crack, every imperfection.

The pseudo-wind rushing past his face, the slight coolness making the tone of the light appear blue. Light diffusing through the icicles hanging precariously from the cave.

He saw individual snow-flakes fall down towards the earth, spinning around slowly, shining ever so slightly, a detail Humphrey hadn't noticed before.

Everything seemed so... beautiful. Isn't it a wonderful day?

And, having collected enough information about the cave to write a complete novel along with twenty-five sequels, he finally saw her.

The last thing he noticed.

And the most important.

The most beautiful.

Even with a face that screamed 'messy accident' at the passive observer, Kate's brilliant beauty practically outshone the sun itself, blooming, awakening, relaxing, energizing.

Moments passed. Time stood still. But Humphrey didn't. As he approached his final destination, he closed his eyes, ready for a moment so embarrassing that it would probably kill him, an instant that would lead to an onslaught of insults, a single point in time where his life would change, forever.

Humphrey tried to throw his hands out to stop himself. But, no matter how much Humphrey tried, his front paws simply wouldn't extend fast. But they did extend fast _enough_. He stopped just shy of permanently fracturing Kate's skull, but not shy enough.

He found himself lip-locked with Kate.

At first, both he and Kate tried to squirm out of the awkward position, but they couldn't get themselves to just do it.

Humphrey decided to go all in. He didn't care for the world, he didn't care for the time, nor for the past, neither for the present; he just didn't care.

Both leaned into the moment, forgetting everything.

At that moment, both of them knew.

Kate knew, this was the real Humphrey all along. She wouldn't dedicate her heart to anyone else.

Humphrey knew, that Kate forgave him. She pardoned him, for everything, for every moment.

Release.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Things were bright and sunny in Kate and Humphrey's life ahead. Humphrey decided to stick with his darker colour, because Kate liked and more, and also because he couldn't manage to get the now dry berry juice off of him. He didn't care, though; Kate loved his scent.

Eventually, things got brighter and brighter, until the day of the marriage.

They thought that it would all be downhill from there, but they were immediately proven wrong.

They decided to just split and become a couple of lone wolves, occasionally visiting their pack at least once every two months.

Both of them agreed that kids caused too many problems, so nothing in that department went on.

They eventually met the duo of kind humans Humphrey had grown attached to, and became their lifelong companions.

But 'lifelong' wasn't actually correct, because the four of them never died.

But, that's a story for another month.

* * *

**Thank you for reading until the end.**

**I've put a lot of love into this story, trying to create an experience that you, as the reader, would enjoy.**

**If you think something is off, or if you want to suggest something, please, leave a review.**

**Thanks a lot.**

**Writer with a heart.**


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